SAN ANTONIO DE PADUA COLLEGE

BRGY. STA. CLARA SUR, PILA, LAGUNA

CANTEEN MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOLS IN PILA LAGUNA IN

TERMS OF FOOD SAFETY, HYGIENE FOOD QUALITY

AND FOOD PRICE; AN INPUT TO CANTEEN

MANAGEMENT MANUAL

Lat, Dawn Ezekiel U.

Constantino, Maria Franchesca D.

Diche, Hannah Shane G.

Edeza, Jean Eiryl C.

Ibabao, Angel M.

Vallarta, Krizline M.
 Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

A school canteen must be a free from dirt and safe environment. Performing safe

personal sanitation for the staff members, being aware about storing of food, keeping food at the

right condition, maintaining neatness are the steps the staff must take to always ensure a safe

consumption of food (Food Safety, 2016)

According to the study of Titcombe (2010), the school canteen is a great place that helps

promote an enjoyment of eating healthy. The food purchased makes a significant contribution to

the students who use canteen regularly, in their total food intake and nutrition. Therefore,

ensuring the best food possible makes sense to take information presented to them and enhance

their ability to learn in class.

Reinforcing skills, knowledge and behaviors about lifestyle of healthy eating that are

taught in the classroom are the important role that the canteen plays within the broader school

environment. The vital role of the canteen is to create a school culture healthy eating and

promote healthy foods. The provided food at school has a considerable influence on the

children’s development of long term eating habits, attitudes towards the food and their preferred

food (Halton, 2015)

The latest study of (Santacruz, 2016) revealed that health practices and support teaching

are the two ways in the school canteens lead to a significant impact in a school life. Health

practices and proper nutrition includes the provisions of special dietary precondition for some

staffs and student and in being field of school which can easily become a concern if specific
measures are not put in place to put a stop on this. School members such as administrators and

canteen committees have to feed staffs and students properly as a part of their responsibility. The

school administration should guarantee that the canteens meet national standards for food

preparation, storage, hygiene and safety. Failure to do so can result to staff and students who

consume the fare to have a serious health problems. The appropriate knowledge and skills to the

type of food they are receiving, preparing, storing and serving should be organized by the food

handlers particularly if it is potentially dangerous or is not going to be thoroughly cooked

immediately prior to utilization. Food safety is essential in schools because children can be

vulnerable to foodborne diseases.

Background of the Study

There are two types of school canteen management, first is the cooperative type and the

second is the school manage type. For some school, they prefer the cooperative type of school

canteen management but for others, they prefer for school manage type. Currently, the first type

is the cooperative management that is implemented in most schools because it is more service

oriented, student-focused and teacher-based management which would allow the school to be

more decisive to resource generation and public service implementation (Sandoval, 2013)

A few years back, all public elementary school in the Philippines were ordered to put up

the canteen through a Department of Education Memorandum. There were guidelines to be

followed according to the memorandum such as, the school canteen shall help eliminate

malnutrition among pupils. It shall serves as a venue for the development of desirable eating

habit of pupils. Service should be the main consideration for operating a school canteen. Profit

shall be secondary since the clientele are pupils who are dependent only on their meager

allowance from their parents. Reporting and accounting of the proceeds from the operation of the
school canteen shall be made by the parties concerned to emphasize transparency and

accountability. It was stated on the Department of Education Policy that school canteen shall

adhere to professional management and sound business practices as well as to safety and security

measures.

The Department of Education is strongly committed to support student health and well-

being through its curriculum in schools and a range of initiatives that offer opportunities that

promote physically fit individuals who love eating healthy food. Schools are encouraged to

implement comprehensive health and well-being programs, including food and nutrition

education. The establishment and operation of school canteen healthy food among students,

faculty and the school personnel, making it possible for them to enjoy nutritious and healthy food

at affordable prices during the school day. The canteen should also provide the pupils a variety

of foods and dishes that enhance their skills and knowledge. (DepEd Order no. 8 of 2007)

Ladia (2013) stated that recognizing the importance of eating the right kind of food in

children’s growth and development, many schools today accept food services as an integral part

of the school program. It is imperative therefore, that the child who spends the greater part of

his/her waking hours in school be given food that are nutritious and economical. There are plenty

of students with meager allowance for snacks in the public schools, therefore it is necessary that

daily food served in the school canteen are assured to be within the means of the children.

Considerations are given to the nutritive value of the food items being served to them. However,

there are other factors in the process which are not given attention which may adversely affect

the school’s total development program especially if the canteen is being mismanaged by a group

or an individual.
Theoretical Framework

Management takes place within a structured organisational setting with prescribed roles.

It is directed towards the achievement of aims objectives through influencing the effects of

others.

A collection of ideas which set forth general rules on how to manage a business or

organization. Management theory shows how managers and supervisors relate to their

organizations in the knowledge of its goals, the implementation of effective means to get the

goals accomplished and how to motivate employees to perform to the highest standard.

As indicated the “human relation theory”, management systems became more human

centered, emphasizing the capacities of individuals to act autonomously and creatively and

gearing management toward bringing out the potential of the people they employ. Human

relations management theories emphasize the importance of aligning the needs of the workers

with the needs of the company and adopting policies aimed at their mutual benefit.

Effective management providing the school community with nutritious and affordable

foods, the canteen should be based on good management practices and be financially self-

sustaining. Experience shows that with good management and marketing practices, a canteen can

provide healthy foods and also be financially viable.

The school canteen is a small business. Like any business, it requires good management

practices to be efficient and successful. Effective canteen management requires that everyone

involved knows its goals and objectives and is familiar with its policies.

Conceptual Framework
 Frame 1 is consist of the profile of the canteeners such as their gender and their age and

the factors that affects the food safety hygiene, quality and price such as the appearance, food

packaging, nutrient content and safety. Frame 2 is consist of the process that we will use in

gathering data through creating questionnaires will be asked to the subjects through conducting

interview with them. Moreover, the researcher will collect their quantitative data by using the

Likert Scale format of questionnaires for a more systematic and comprehend data. Frame 3 is

consists of the output which includes the possible outcome in our study which is to determine

how the canteeners practices the food safety production in the canteen and to be able to know

how does the price of the food affects the food quality that they are serving

INPUT
1.Profile of the canteeners:
OUTPUT
1.1 Age
 to determine how
1.2 Gender PROCESS the canteeners
practices the food
2. Factors that affects the food  Questionnaires safety production
in the canteen
safety, hygiene, quality and  Data Gathering  to be able to know
how does the price
price of the food affects
the food quality
2.1 Apperance that they are
serving.

2.2 Food packaging

2.3 Nutrient Content

2.4 Safety

Figure 1. Paradigm of the Study

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the Canteen Management of Schools in Pila Laguna in

terms of Food Safety, Hygiene, Food Quality and Food Price; An input to Canteen Management

Manual.

Specifically sought to answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

1.1. Age

1.2. Gender

2. How do the following factors affect the Canteen Management of Schools in Pila

Laguna in terms of Food Safety, Hygiene, Food Quality and Food Price; An input to Canteen

Management Manual in terms of:

2.1. Appearance

2.2. Food Packaging

2.3. Nutrient Content

2.4. Safety

The Significance of the Study

This study is significant to the canteens, to the students and to the future researchers.

To the Canteeners, they will notice how food safety and hygiene affects their

management in the canteen.

 To the Future Researchers, they will observe the effects of food safety, hygiene, food

quality and food price in the canteen management and will serve as their guideline and basis to

everything they need regarding this kind of research topic.

To the Students, this study will help them know how safe and hygienic the foods are.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This study was conducted to determine the Canteen Management of Schools in Pila

Laguna in terms of Food Safety, Hygiene, Food Quality and Food Price; An Input to Canteen

Management Manual. The aspects into the Appearance, Food Packaging, Nutrient Content and

Safety.

Definition of Terms

For the purpose of having a common frame of reference as well as facilitating

understanding of concept the terms indicated are operationally defined.

Age. It serves as the identification of the profile of the respondents in the study.

Appearance. It is defined as the looks of the food while being served.

Canteener. It is the respondents in the study. It is the one who cooks food in the canteen.

Food Packaging. It is defined as the protection, tampering resistance and special physical needs

of the food.

Gender. It is used in order to find the difference between males and females of the respondents.

Nutrient Content. It is an indication of the quantity of a food which is digested and absorbed

and the amounts of the essential nutrients.

Safety. It is defined as the condition of the food being protected from unlikely germs and other

viruses.